M A I N   N E W S

Army, Punjab lock horns
Location of ammunition depots
By Vijay Mohan
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Feb 4 — The Punjab Government and the Army have locked horns over the location of several ammunition depots in the state. While the state government reportedly wants the Army to shift the ammunition depots located in the state away from crowded places, the Army authorities say that such a move is not feasible.

The issue, which came up during the civil-military liaison conference organised at Western Command Headquarters, Chandimandir, last month, is yet to be resolved. Both sides reportedly left the issue pending, but agreed to work on it later.

Though the proceedings of the conference are being kept under wraps, it is learnt that the issue was raised by the state’s Home Department. According to sources, the Home Department wanted the Army to shift its ammunition depots as they would pose a threat to the civilian population in the case of a mishap.

The ammunition depots in the state include those located at Jalandhar, Bathinda, Ludhiana, Suranasi, Beas and Amritsar. Although they were isolated from the civilian population at the time of establishment, the areas around them, over the years, have been heavily encroached upon. Besides a migrant population settling there, commercial establishments and tenements have also come up around them — all in gross violation of the law.

The state government representatives, sources say, indicated that it was extremely difficult to get the encroachers evicted. It is a well known fact that the eviction of encroachers, as in other instances, involves long and cumbersome legal proceedings as well as political implications.

As per the law, a specified area from the perimeter fence has to be left clear of any structures, including dwelling units, as a safety measure. However, the agencies concerned have failed to check encroachments in the demarcated safety zones. The situation, sources say, is not restricted to Punjab.

The issue was addressed during the conference by one of the corps commanders, who stated that the location of the ammunition depots had been decided keeping in view the operational and logistical requirements of the Army as might arise during a war.

If the ammunition depots are to be shifted from their present locations, the exercise would involve an expenditure of crores of rupees. Since ammunition depots are spread over several thousand acres, acquiring an equivalent area of land for the purpose does not appear to be feasible.